September Acres

Isn't this a cool picture? We went up to the mountains this morning for the day to meet our friends who have a cabin up there (lucky ducks- maybe one day...) It is only an hour drive and it's like a different world. We went to brunch at the 'lodge' up there. It was yummy and the cinnamon rolls were fab!! While we were eating, 2 elk came right up to the dining room window. All the kids went over to get a closer look. I was so happy I remembered my camera so I could get this picture of my daughter looking at the elk. It is such a fun experience for the kids (not bad for the adults either). With so much tv, video, computers, etc it's nice to get out in nature. I love that even with the buildings and humans that the animals just roam around. Besides the elk we saw deer, lizards, rabbits, blue birds, woodpeckers. The kids had fun playing outside - just running around and looking at things. So simple. What a great day. I got this picture as we were walking into the rest...

I just got back from my debut on the local radio talk show. I went to talk about the garage sale our hockey league is holding this weekend. What fun that was! The guys who do the show are really funny (I listen to them alot) so it was fun to be on the 'inside'. I even got to stay when my segment was over AND they let me talk!! The topic was the standardized tests that they do in the public schools here. Kind of controversial. But as so many times happens the topic just kinds of blossoms - we ended up talking about how so many kids don't get enough sleep or good breakfasts, making it hard to learn. A real passion of mine. Especially now seeing the kids in my daughter's class that are yawning by 8:30 or hungry even before then. I gave them my card and told them that if they ever needed to have an extra mouth on air to give me a call! After I got home I got a phone call from Lands End regarding my return. I posted a while back on trying to find jeans for my da...

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. Ours was really nice and pretty quiet. I made breakfast for my family: eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls and fruit. I haven't really 'cooked' a breakfast in a while so it was nice. We usually just do the cereal and fruit thing on school days and usually weekend mornings find us out of the house early, too. Since we went to church on Saturday evening we had our Sunday morning free. Very nice! We went to my parent's for an Easter Egg hunt at about 11:30 and then came home and had dinner here. Some friends came over and brought with them a huge Easter basket for my daughter. They don't have any kids so this was really fun for them. There were alot of fun games in there along with some candy & a really cute, soft bunny. Since the Easter bunny didn't really go too wild on candy the extra isn't totally a bad thing. My tulips I picked up for Sunday (pictured above) really bloomed nicely just in time, on Sunday. The picture actual...

I have been wanting to add some things to my blog for some time now I just haven't done it. So I started tonight. I added links to some of my favorite blogs & I am sure I will add more as time goes on. If I have added anyone that doesn't want to be added please let me know & I will remove the link. I am sure I will add other things later that interest me & maybe someone else, too. Gosh, we have a busy weekend coming up. Tomorrow I have to grocery shop for Easter Sunday - not that much to get for that day but I also have the rest of the week to think of. I am off to make my list after I am done here. I just finished boiling the eggs so we can dye them tomorrow. My husband told me the new neighbors invited us over tomorrow for a party but he doesn't know what time. hmmm... Wonder if we will be able to work that in? We are going to church tomorrow evening as a family - a partially reluctant family. I told my husband it is our date night! My daughter is going but on...

We are home. Long week, like I said in the last post. It was good to get home, of course. My daughter was sooo happy to see her dad (me too!) I am glad he was already home from work when we got here. I wonder if all the paper in my office gave birth while I was gone? It sure seems like it. I am just overwhelmed with all that needs to be done now. So much laundry - I have my husband's work clothes in the dryer now so he has stuff to wear tomorrow (one day I will share the story of why he doesn't do laundry). I haven't even touched the stuff in our suitcases - well I have emptied it but not washed it. Tomorrow I will start. I have much to do in the morning tomorrow before my daughter and I meet my husband for lunch. My daughter has been on spring break all week - they go back on Monday. I think she will be ready then. My husband just mentioned how clean the house was until this afternoon! I told him that he and the dog are much neater than my daughter and me! Spe...

It has been a long winter so tomorrow will be a welcome day. Spring is here! My daughter & I have been out of town visiting my grandparents. We are headed home tomorrow. YIPPEE!! It has been a long week; very exhausting running from house to house to visit, all while trying to keep the six year old occupied. We have had some fun, don't get me wrong. A little shopping, of course, and some trips to the park for my daughter. We have had great weather. I got my daughter a little white sweater for her Easter dress - just in case it is cold or if the AC is blasting at church. It is really cute & I think she will get a lot of use out of it. My mom got her some tops & a short & top set. I think that most of her things from last summer will be too small so we will start all over again. I am hoping the growing slows down a bit soon. In 2006 & the first half of 2007 she went through shoes like crazy. That has slowed down alot so I am assuming the clothing will...

I got my daughter's Easter dress a while back and I am so in love with it! I hope she likes it as much. I am having problems uploading the picture (operator error, I am sure!). I splurged on it which I haven't done in her last 6 Easters so I was okay with that -- we still have money to eat with - haha (more on that later). I will try to get the picture uploaded as I am sure anyone reading this is on the edge of their seats. Regarding eating: I have NO IDEA what we are having for dinner. I have about 30 minutes to figure it out. Yikes. Usually, I have it figured out in the morning but I don't know what happened today. I am tempted just to do spaghetti but we just had that and my husband mentioned that he is sick of it (can't imagine why!) So I am off to check a few websites for inspiration and poke around in the pantry to see what I come up with. My daughter suggested candy - don't I wish. :) I was in my daughter's class all day today so I am totally ...

As I was driving my daughter home from school today, listening to Sean Hannity (as I usually do), the topic was Eliot Spitzer.  After listening for a moment I realized that I needed to change the channel as I didn't want my daugter or her friend to ask, "What is a hooker?" from the back seat.  Not a conversation that I would like to have with a 6 year old.  My heart goes out to his poor teenage daughters; what type of message does this send them?  A.  It's okay to cheat on your spouse. B.  It's okay to do something illegal. C.  It's okay to fritter away our college fund while you cheat on our mom. D.  All of the above. God Bless this family as they go through this horrible time.  Now, I am off the look for those Wiggles CD's until this blows over...

Last Sunday we had horrible winds all day - 40 miles an hour or so. Just miserable to be outside. Today I get up and hear that horrible shriek all over again. I was dreading getting dressed and going to church in it yet again. I decided not to wear a dress (last week's mistake - 'it won't be that bad' I said to myself -HA!). Today ended up not to be quite as bad as last week, thankfully. We generally have fabulous weather but when the winds kick up, watch out!! Thank you Kellie, Laurie & Lisa to your nice comments on my fundraising post. After I re-read it I thought it was a little harsh & and I was feeling like a Scrooge. I am so glad that I am not alone but at the same time I am sorry that others have the same issues. If that makes any sense!! I don't know if anyone reads "O" magazine or not. I don't subscribe but probably get an issue a year. I bought the March issue (the one with Oprah wearing green - how festive!) There was a great article...

Ye s , in kindergarten. Something comes home almost weekly, sometimes more, for a contribution, fundraising event, selling of something to help someone. And this is in a public school. I would expect it in a private school but I am really blown away at how much we have been asked to donate to. All I can think is '12 more years of this?' Now, let me make it clear that I am not stingy. We donate to causes we find worthwhile but I feel like the school is nickel and diming us to death. We just had a 'Jump Rope for the Heart' at the end of February. This is one of the causes that is near and dear to us so we were excited to be involved. My daughter jumped her heart out and raised a nice amount for the American Heart Association. We asked our friends and family for donations and they were all so generous. Now we have another 'a-thon' coming up. If everyone in the class donates there will be an ice cream party for the kids. So, I feel the pressure. I don'...

I was watching "Leave it to Beaver" this morning (does anyone else do that? It is one of my all time favorite shows). It was the episode where Beaver rips his good pants and then lies about how it happened (an idea planted by Eddie Haskell, of course). Ward and June punished him by having him stay in his room all afternoon by himself. When they were leaving the room for him to start his punishment June went back in and asked Beaver if he understood why he was being punished. It was for lying & they started talking about God and that he could see us no matter where we were and knew what we were doing and saying. It was really sweet and done in a way that kids could really 'get it'. I started thinking how that would NEVER happen on TV today. It is a sad statement of how much society has changed since the 50's (and not for the better, in my humble opinion). It seems like sitcoms in the 50's, 60's, 70's & 80's really were learning too...